Media Release: More Scottish students than ever are ready to take the first steps towards entrepreneurial success!

THE Scottish Institute for Enterprise (SIE) has had a bumper crop of entries from students to this year’s Fresh Ideas competition, which closed for entries on 30 January.

Fresh Ideas is the national early stage business competition for students with innovative ideas for new products, businesses or social enterprises.

Overall entries have risen by 25 per cent, reaching nearly 400 entries from universities and colleges across Scotland, covering a huge range of innovative new products and services that have the potential to have a big impact.

Through the course of the competition, students develop their ideas with the help of SIE’s Business and Innovation Advisors, with the result that all of the entrants benefit from the experience, whether they choose to continue with their idea after graduation or take the skills they’ve gained to a graduate job.

The Fresh Ideas Competition in particular plays a vital role in identifying young entrepreneurs with potential, giving them the right support and encouragement to take them to the next level.

Having started on their entrepreneurial journey with SIE, many students go on to further success with private investment and significant wins in more advanced competitions like the Converge Challenge and Scottish EDGE.

Commenting on the 2016-17 entries, Fiona Godsman, CEO of SIE, said: “This year has been a fabulous one for Fresh Ideas.

“We’ve received a huge number of high quality entries, an impressive 25 per cent increase from last year. We know that many of the students taking the first step with us today will be the big success stories of tomorrow and we’re looking forward to helping them make it happen.”

The winners and highly commended entries from January will join those from October, November and December and move forward to stage two of the competition and the chance to win a £1,000 cash prize.

This year will also see additional prizes recognising the best ideas meeting Scottish Government priorities: healthcare, food and drink and the creative undustry.

The competition winners will be announced at the SIE Annual Awards Dinner on 22 March.

ENDS

Pictured: Fiona Godsman, CEO of the Scottish Institute for Enterprise, with students at an SIE competition workshop.

Notes to editors:

Scottish Institute for Enterprise

The Scottish Institute for Enterprise is the national organisation for the promotion and support of enterprise and entrepreneurship in Scotland’s students. SIE works with universities and colleges to champion enterprise education and help their students start new innovative businesses.

SIE provides free one-to-to advice, enterprise workshops and business competitions supported by a national team of student interns and business advisors.

SIE is supported by the Scottish Founding Council and Scottish Enterprise and is part of the Scotland CAN DO framework.

The Fresh Ideas competition is a student enterprise competition for students in Scotland’s colleges and universities looking for innovative ideas for new products, businesses and social enterprises.

Students can enter ideas each month from October to January with monthly winners and highly commended entrants moving to the second stage of the competition and the chance to win a cash prize of £1,000.

In 2016-17, the competition includes additional awards recognising the best ideas meeting Scottish Government Priorities.These include healthcare, food and drink and the creative industry.

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